Building Capacity and Linkage for Internationalizing Educator Preparation Programs at Minority-Serving Institutions

• In Event: The Vital Interests: Preparing Globally Competitive and Culturally Responsive Educators for Our Shared Future

Abstract

SUMMARY OF SYMPOSIUM/PANEL COMMENTARY

Purpose and Perspectives

Preparing globally competent and culturally responsive educators is becoming the 21st century educational imperative (U.S. DOE, 2012a, 2012b; ACE 2012). A national dialog on building consensus, capacity, and linkage among minority serving institutions (MSIs) is both critical and timely in advancing the agenda that will impact our shared future. Presenters from each of the institutions and agencies will discuss institution-specific approaches toward internationalizing educator preparation programs, and share progresses and challenges faced with capacity and linkage building among candidates, teacher educators and P-12 partners. The presenters, with the inputs from the attendees, will collective explore strategies and processes for building profession-wide capacity and linkage toward developing world-class teaching professionals, teacher educators, and teacher education programs.

Methods and Evidence

The development, sustenance and enhancement of globally competitive and culturally responsive educator preparation programs involve changes in culture, policy and practice. Institutionalization of the change initiative demands integrated strategic planning and actions with strong leadership, commitment, collaboration, support, and resources. Sustaining the initiative further requires attention at multiple levels and with community-wide commitment and engagement in and over time. Capacity building at individual, collective and materials levels substantially increases the probability for successful and sustainable interventions. Linkage building further enables connection, communication, and transfer of capacities (Spillane & Thompson, 1997; Fullan & Stielgelbauer, 1991; Fullan, 2000).

Grounded in the theories and practices of capacity and linkage building, the session focuses on (1) creating contexts and conditions for change, (2) establishing priorities and strategies for capacity and linkage building, (3) developing models, tools and opportunities for implementation.

Implications and Significance

Aligning with the overall framework of the symposium, the overall intent is to establish a MSI network for rapid prototyping. With scaled implementation and data collection, the expended evidentiary-base may potentially inform policy and influence practice toward systematic and profession-wide improvement.

Authors

• Leontye Lewis, Fayetteville State University

• James Takona, Coppin State University

• Bret D Cormier, Kentucky State University